wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Theological education, seedbed for churches' renewal

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World Council of Churches - News Release

Contact: +41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org
For immediate release - 08/12/2009 10:31:54

THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION, SEEDBED FOR CHURCHES' RENEWAL

Proper theological education is of strategic importance for the
future of Christianity. So is ecumenical formation for the future
of the ecumenical movement.

These are key convictions Dr Dietrich Werner, coordinator of the
Ecumenical Theological Education programme of the World Council
of Churches (ETE/WCC) expressed in a World Study Report on
Theological Education released in Nairobi on 24 November. The
90-page report subtitled "Challenges and Opportunities for
Theological Education in the 21st Century – Pointer for a New
International Debate on Theological Education" was produced by an
international study group as part of the Edinburgh 2010 process (
http://www.edinburgh2010.org/en/study-themes.html )during the
last 12 months.

The report was released at a meeting of the newly created
Advisory Committee on Theology, Ecumenical Formation and
Interfaith Issues of the All African Conference of Churches (
http://www.aacc-ceta.org/en/default.asp )which brought
together around 20 key representatives of theological education
and regional associations of theological schools in Africa. Their
goal was to start a new initiative for cooperation in theological
education in Africa and for the production of new theological
textbooks on crucial themes for African Christianity. The report
has been published in a Joint Information Service (
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=4976 )of the World Conference of
Associations of Theological Schools (WOCATI) and ETE/WCC.

The world report on theological education – as well as
accompanying papers ( http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6405 )– is
available in a shorter and an extended version. It includes case
studies on various regions of the world and key recommendations
for the future of theological education.

The report states that "theological education is the seedbed for
the renewal of churches, their ministries, and their commitment
to the unity of the church. If theological education systems are
neglected or not given their due prominence, over the following
decades the church will experience a decline in the competence of
church leadership and in their capacity for ecumenical and
interfaith dialogue and for dialogue between church and society.
It has become clear that ecumenical learning is not just the
addition of elements of ecumenical theology into the curriculum,
but the key question is whether and to what extent the basic
orientation of theological education reflects the fundamental
relational nature of being the church, its vocation to live with
other Christian communities and with the wider human community."

World Study Report on Theological Education, short version:
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/documents/p5/ete/E2010_summary_World_Study_Report11_2009.pdf

World Study Report on Theological Education, extended version:
http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/files/wcc-main/documents/p5/ete_wocati_joint_info/ETE_World_Study_%20Report11_2009.pdf

Ecumenical Theological Education programme of the WCC:
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=3137

>WCC partners in theological education:
>http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=5828

Additional information:Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507
6363media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,
witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical
fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings
together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches
representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110
countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic
Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, from
the Methodist Church in Kenya. Headquarters: Geneva,
Switzerland.